The iconic tower dominating the Toronto skyline is the CN Tower. Its name comes from Canadian National, the railway company that developed the project to improve television and radio transmissions across Toronto.
Construction began in 1973 on the former Railway Lands, and the tower opened on June 26, 1976. Rising 553.3 metres, it quickly became Toronto’s defining landmark and a symbol of Canadian engineering. Its observation decks, revolving restaurant and glass-floor attractions also made it a major visitor destination.
The CN Tower was the world’s tallest free-standing structure from 1975 until 2007, when Dubai’s Burj Khalifa surpassed it. A common mix-up is calling it Toronto’s tallest building: it is a communications and observation tower rather than a conventional habitable skyscraper. It remains the city’s tallest free-standing structure and one of the most recognizable features on the North American skyline.